


Mostly Professional

by swindalynn



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, i am bad at romance, it turned out to be a bad attempt at romance?, it was supposed to be smut with a very hard emotionally ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 17:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13956771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swindalynn/pseuds/swindalynn
Summary: Chloe foils Nadine's careful plans to train her up the night before they leave on their next expedition. A rejection is not exactly what Chloe had planned for, nor is her reaction to that rejection.





	Mostly Professional

Recently, they'd decided to invest together in a flat in London. It was a safe place, a haven to escape to right after an expedition, to make sure they'd lost any pursuers who may still be on their tail, before going their separate ways. It had become a necessity when a few Shoreline men had followed Chloe to the Maquehue airport in Temuco. Now, every adventure began and ended in this safe house. 

The furnishings were sparse, a sturdy couch the opposite of glamorous, a sensible coffee table, no rugs on the cold wooden flooring. There were to small beds no bigger than cots in their own respective bedrooms. In the kitchen, there was nothing but disposable plates and silverware, save for a coffee maker and two ceramic mugs, both with a penguin painted iceskating. One mug's penguin had a blue striped scarf while the other donned a red knit hat. Chloe had insisted upon them.

She carried them both now, padding her way on bare feet from the kitchen to the couch where Nadine, sipping from the red one and offered the other mug. 

“It's decaf,” she said with a wink. “Well. Probably.” 

“It's fine,” Nadine said with a nod. “Still got last minute checks so I could use the pick me up..”

She indicated the coffee table before them where she'd spread out their gear. Chloe slipped onto the couch beside her and reached over and brushed her fingers across the new combat knives Nadine had acquired for them. 

“New equipment?”

“Smaller handle.” Nadine nodded. “The ones you had before were too big for your grip. Too easy to disarm.” 

“I don't know. I'ver never had trouble with them,” Chloe said. “Besides, when things get crazy, a knife is not my go to.” 

It was this attitude in these treasure hunters Nadine had met this past year that worried her. If the Drake brothers were any indication, the lot of them would meet their fate at the end of a serrated knife. She sipped her black coffee and shook her head. 

“You're a good shot, I'll give you that,” she said, turning to face Chloe, “but it makes me nervous when we're gunless, out of ammo, and being chased by men trained to kill us in a hundred ways.” 

Chloe made a face. “Worry wart.” 

“You think I'm worrying for no reason?” Nadine asked, setting her mug down. She waved her arm upwards. She made her way to the kitchen and retrieved a plastic knife. “All right then, India. Get up. Let's see what you've got.” 

“Oh, you think you can out maneuver me?” Chloe's eye glinted with mischief as she hopped off the couch and took her place opposite Nadine in the open area between the couch and the kitchen island. They had plenty room to move about with the apartment as empty as it was. Chloe bounced on her feet while she shoot her limbs free, bouncing from side to side for a few moments. Then she settled on the balls of her feet and lifted her fists. 

“I just have to disarm you, right?” she asked. 

“If you can.” Nadine flipped the knife upside down. “If I touch you with this at all, you better call it.” 

Chloe grinned. “Of course. And you won't. What do I get if I win?” 

Nadine rose an eyebrow. “Win? This isn't a game, Frazer. This is something you need to learn.” 

True to who she was, Chloe ignored Nadine's all too serous tone and feigned a lightbulb after some pensive thought. “I know. If I win, we get a tv for this place.” 

Incredulously, Nadine rolled her eyes. “When would we ever use a television set? We're hardly here.” 

“Well, you tell me how else a woman convinces you to snuggle on a dreary London evening and I'll come up with a different reward.” Chloe lowered her fist just enough to make the smile on her face lose its arrogance and gain a touch of charm Nadine would never admit took her off guard for a moment. 

“Ever thought about just asking?” Nadine shot back and it earned her another grin. 

“Didn't peg you as the type, luv,” she said, and then nodded. “But duly noted. Nadine Ross is a snuggle bug.” 

Nadine scoffed, “Can we just focus here?”

Chloe's smile lingered for a few more moments before she conceded and raised her fists.They walked around each other, feigning movements, reacting to false starts, trying to gauge the other. Chloe was smart and knew that she needed to wait, to draw Nadine near, but Nadine knew Chloe's speed and agility. She lunged forward, bringing the plastic knife around as if she were moving for a punch. As Chloe jumped backward to avoid her, Nadine dropped to her hunches and launched herself, bringing the knife to her lose shirt and then to the flesh of her abdomen behind, drawing it across Chloe's belly as she tucked into a combat roll. Chloe cursed through a few breathy laughs.

“That wasn't fair.” She turned to face Nadine. “I can't take you seriously with that thing in your hand.”

Nadine slowly stood from the floor, considering her in that silent way that did little to hide the myriad of thoughts in her head, thoughts that drove Chloe crazy not knowing. 

“All right.” Nadine nodded, more to herself than to Chloe. She rounded the end of the couch to the coffee table and exchanged the plastic utensil for the combat knife, releasing it from its sheath.

“Nadine, what are you doing?” Chloe asked, watching as Nadine turned the knife in her hand and offered the handle to her. 

“Taking it seriously.” 

“I could really hurt you,” Chloe started, but stopped when Nadine flashed her an aggravating knowing smile over her shoulder. 

“You won't.” 

“You can't say that for su-...” 

Chloe's words caught in her throat when she felt Nadine's hand warm on her cheek, the touch stilling her immediately. Nadine held her gaze and her thumb stroked her cheekbone lightly. When she spoke, her voice was low and even, calming. She exuded quiet confidence that inspired both ease and anticipation simultaneously in Chloe. Any other day, Chloe might have stolen a kiss, but there was something about the small pocket of warmth Nadine had created in this moment that made the thief feel that maybe, this time, she might need permission. 

“I need you to trust me right now,” Nadine said, still cupping her cheek and holding her gaze with her own. “Can you do that?”

Chloe nodded. Breathed. Nadine continued but neither of them moved. 

“You're going to come at me, anyway you'd like. Your goal is to actually do harm. Mine is to disarm you. Understand?” 

Chloe nodded again and tried to find her voice. “Yeah. Sure. Understood.” 

She unraveled when Nadine rested her forehead against her for the briefest of moments, letting her hand drop from her cheek to her shoulder. Nadine breathed then straightened, patting her shoulder. 

“Good. All right. “ 

Then just like that, she pulled away, returning to her place on the opposite side of the room as if she hadn't just left Chloe in pieces. Chloe watched her loosen her shoulders and then raise loose fists, her muscles taut and distracting. Nadine set upon her a look that was nothing short of enchanting. Her lean face, dark skinned and frightfully handsome, the promise of feminine power in her gaze, the chillingly calm focus of her eyes, all of it never ceased to make Chloe swoon. Nadine did not know just how attractive she was. 

“Ready?” Nadine asked her and Chloe fumbled a nod, gripped the knife, and tried to steady her hands as she rose them. 

As if she could see the nerves in Chloe, Nadine only nodded her approval at her stance, and somehow, that was all the encouragement and validation Chloe needed to snap her head out of her clitoris and back in the moment. 

“Anytime you're ready, India,” Nadine said. 

Chloe's first attack came from the right, but she's clever and remembered everything Nadine has said about her. She said she was agile and light on her feet. Chloe saw Nadine's hand reaching out for her wrist, used her heel to stop short and launched her self in the opposite direction. Just before Nadine was able to grab her wrist, she tossed the knife to her left hand and came in for an attack.

If Nadine was impressed, she didn't show it. Instead, using the anchor she had on Chloe's wrist, she drew Chloe to her and with a precise movement of her hand, diverting the oncoming blade with a flick of her wrist. Nadine let her stumble forward, sidestepped her and angled her hand backward, loosening fingers enough for her to grab the knife. 

Before Chloe's momentum could move her forward once more, Nadine yanked her back flush against her. Her right arm snaked its way across her middle and the edge of the knife came tight against her throat. Chloe steadied her breath but her heart was pounding. The knife is sharp enough to elicit a cut before either of them are aware of it, she knows. She can feel Nadine's warm breath on the back of her ear. 

“That was a nice trick you tried.” Nadine's voice tangled in the dark strands of hair that came loose from Chloe's pony tail and her hand was firm on her ribcage just below her breast. 

“Almost had you.” Chloe allowed herself the luxury of leaning back against Nadine, feeling breasts against her back and pelvis against her ass. She lifted her chin despite the sharp edge against her throat.

“No, you didn't.” 

“How do you know I don't have you where I want you right now?” 

Nadine gave her customary scoff and said, “Because I have you where I want you.”

Nadine's voice may be ignoring Chloe's actions, but there was nothing professional about the way her free hand roamed lower down Chloe's abdomen, possessive and greedy, and strong enough to bruise whenever she wanted. The ache inside Chloe was almost blinding and it surprised her how excited she was. The woman had her at knifepoint to her jugular and all she could think about was the growing warmth between her legs. 

Chloe closed her eyes and breathed, allowing herself to sink just a little against Nadine's front, the movement make her the knife just barely catch the skin on the side of her throat and she bit her tongue back.

“Maybe we want the same thing then.” 

“Frazer.” 

“You said to trust you, right?”

Nadine's breath hitched and she lowered the knife, but Chloe caught her wrist and brought it back up. The angle was wrong and it rested against the skin of her chest exposed by the lower collar of her shirt.  
It wasn't so much pain or danger Chloe found so exciting. It was that in the face of the threat of it, the trust Nadine had successfully fostered in her earlier was a promise to keep her safe. 

Chloe covered the hand that held her firm with her own, gripping it tight and moved it slowly down the length of her body to her elastic waist of the soft lounge pants she wore. 

“What are you doing?” Nadine asked her, more curious than annoyed. 

Chloe pushed Nadine's hand down her pants and took in a breath when the tips of her fingers came too close to the concentrated nub of nerves. She pressed herself against Nadine, shamelessly draping herself amongst the hard muscle and soft brown skin. She loved how Nadine was almost a paradox of existence. Brutal and kind, heartless and humane, terrifying and fascinating, all of these things at the same time. Chloe's movements caused the knife to drag lightly across her skin, leaving a small slit of opened skin in its wake. It was nothing more than a paper cut, but Chloe felt like Nadine had sliced right to her core, where she'd shoved all her most precious treasures for safekeeping and exposed the fragile contents to evaporate in the open air.

“What do you think?” Chloe asked her, biting her lower lip. 

“Not tonight, Frazer.” 

Nadine released her. Without another word or a glance, she covered the distance to the sofa and sheathed the knife once more, leaving Chloe stunned. Watching Nadine's back as she returned to packing her go bag made Chloe feel empty. Just seconds ago, she'd felt her heart overflowing, swaddled in the safety she felt when Nadine had asked her to trust her. 

“I want you to love me.” Chloe winced at how they sounded on her own voice. “Nadine...”

It was excruciating, watching Nadine stop and then look at her over her shoulder, surprised. The silence that passed between them felt like a murder of minutes. Chloe deflated when Nadine returned to her go bag. 

“You're an idiot if you think I don't already.” 

Chloe faltered and shook a growing frustration loose from her shoulders, and said, “Yeah, you're right. I am an idiot because that's exactly what I think. I don't think I'm necessarily wrong about that, either.” 

There was a long lonely silence with nothing but Nadine's back for her to look at. She saw the small tremor in the shoulders, the impatience and self-degradation in how she switched weight from one side to the other. What ugly words she must be telling herself right now. When she finally spoke, her words were low and quiet as if she were testing each before she said it.

“I would follow you anywhere,” she said, lifting an angle head flashlight in her left hand. “If anyone hurt you, I would murder them. If Shoreline stood between us, I would raze them to the ground if it meant waking up to one more day being near you.”

Quietly, Nadine set the flashlight back on the table and then finally turned to face her. She was solemn, unapologetic or ashamed for the words she'd just said, but clearly steeling herself for the response they might have garnered. 

“Nadine-.” Chloe took a step closer, drawing off that steadfast calm, but paused when Nadine spoke again.

“So, ja. You're an idiot if you think I don't love you.”

Chloe felt only two things now as she calmly crossed the distance between them; her toes cold against the even colder laminate flooring and the intense need boiling over inside her. She cupped Nadine's face in her hands. 

“What am I supposed to do with that?” she asked with a smile. “That's not really professional of you. You'll make a girl fall in love.”

Nadine's voice came soft. “Would that be so bad?”

Chloe kissed her, the tenderness of her kiss mirroring the gentle way she cradled Nadine's face. She felt Nadine's hands on the small of her back, gliding upward and coaxing her closer. Up to this moment, they had only shared greedy kisses, needy ones done in the heat of a moment when hands couldn't grab and orgasms couldn't be contained. Any time they'd touched before it had always been hasty with a clear purpose, but this wasn't. This kiss existed for the sake of existing, tentatively at first, as if it would evaporate in the open air if they let it escape blithely. 

Nadine took a seat on the padded arm of the couch and Chloe invited herself between her knees and letting her hands fall to her shoulders, down the length of her arms, and finally to the muscular thighs she felt beneath the soft sweats. Chloe smiled and finally answered. 

“No, china, not at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a kinkfic with knife play where Nadine was supposed to safeword. Then it was just going to be smut. I have no idea what happened after that. This is the story that refused to be and none of my writings goals were achieved. These ladies just did not want their sex life in my hands so soon after Lust, I guess.
> 
> Also, I think it's hilarious if Nadine calls her India, because "china". Get it? Get it?


End file.
